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These amazing recipes (below) were developed by the award-winning cookbook author, Damon Lee Fowler. Bookmark this page and visit often as we will be adding new recipes every week.
Also, be sure to check out three of Damon Lee Fowler’s most popular cookbooks. All are available for sale at the Salt Table shops and online. And, all three are autographed.
Damon Lee Fowler (left) recently held a booksigning at The Salt Table shops in Savannah and Pooler Georgia. Carol and Dave are very proud to host such a prolific and notable cookbook author. His books are available in the shops and online. These books are also autographed by Damon.
About the Author: Damon Lee Fowler is a culinary historian, cooking teacher and food writer. A nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking, he is the author of nine cookbooks, including Classical Southern Cooking, Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Savannah Chef’s Table, Essentials of Southern Cooking and, most recently, Ham: A Savor the South Cookbook. He has written historical commentary on a number of historical cookbooks and was editor and recipe developer for Dining At Monticello for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He is the featured food writer for the Savannah Morning News and has written for such national publications as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Relish and Local Palate. He lives, eats, and writes in Savannah, Georgia.
Stout-Braised Short Ribs with The Salt Table Shamrock Dust, River Street Cobblestone Blend or All Round Good Grinder Blend.
Salt Table Shamrock Dust, River Street Cobblestone Blend, or All Round Good Grinder Blend
Short ribs braised in stout is an Irish favorite that has become popular in Savannah not only during our infamous St. Patrick’s Day celebration but throughout the winter. Salt Table’s Shamrock Dust is the perfect pairing for stout-braised beef. Other great blend alternatives for this recipe are River Street Cobblestone Blend and of course All Round Good Grinder Blend.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4½ pounds (bone-in) beef short ribs
Salt Table Shamrock Dust, River Street Cobblestone Blend, or All Round Good Grinder Blend.
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced small
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
2 large ribs of celery, strung and diced small
1 12-ounce bottle of Irish Stout
About 3 cups beef broth or 1½ cups beef broth mixed with 1½ cups chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
How to make it:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Wipe the ribs dry with paper towels and season with Shamrock Dust. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed braising pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss ribs in flour, shake off excess, and add them to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and brown them well on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. This can be done in batches if necessary. Transfer them to a rimmed sheet pan, plate, or platter.
Lower the heat under the pan to medium and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté, tossing, until softened and beginning to color. Sprinkle lightly with Salt Table Shamrock Dust, River Street Cobblestone Blend, or All Round Good Grinder Blend and pour in the stout. Bring it to a boil, stirring and scraping to loosen the cooking residue, then return the ribs to the pan. Pour in enough stock to half-cover the ribs, cover, and set bake for 30 minutes.
Lower the heat to 275 degrees and continue baking until the ribs are falling off-the-bone tender, about 3-4 hours more.
Tip the pan and spoon off the excess fat. If the cooking liquid seems too thin, remove the ribs to a platter and put the pan over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, adjust it to a lively simmer, and cook until it’s reduced and thick. Return the ribs to the sauce and let them rewarm. Sprinkle them with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, Irish colcannon (mashed potatoes and greens), or crusty bread.
Smothered Pork Chops with Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, or Southern Italian Blend
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, or Southern Italian Blend
Smothered pork chops with peppers and onions are an old Lowcountry favorite, and Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend is the perfect blend for so many of the Lowcountry’s traditional dishes from seafood to chicken to pork, especially those containing pork, onions, and sweet peppers. Other appropriate blends for this would be River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 thick center-cut pork chops
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend,River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, or Southern Italian Blend
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or canola oil
Instant blending flour (such as Wondra)
2 medium yellow onions, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
About 1½-to-2-cups chicken or beef broth or a blend of both
1 tablespoon chopped flatleaf parsley
How to make it:
Trim the excess fat from the chops and season them well with Spanish Moss Blend, River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, or Southern Italian Blend. Heat the fat in a deep, lidded 2-quart braising or sauté pan or lidded 9-inch skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, roll the chops in flour, shake off the excess, and put in the pan. Brown them well both sides well, about 3 minutes per side, and remove to them to a plate or platter.
Add onions and peppers and sauté until softened, but not colored, about 4 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side, return the chop to pan, and scoop vegetables on top of chop. Add enough broth to half cover chops, let it come to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until fork tender, replenishing liquid as needed with broth or water, about 1 hour.
Remove the chops to a warm platter. If pan juices are too thin, raise the heat and boil until lightly reduced and thickened. Pour over chops and enjoy at once.
Pork and mushrooms are naturals for autumn, and both are perfect mates for Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend. Here they all come together in a great stew for chilly autumn evenings by the fire. Serve it with lots of crusty bread for sopping.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds lean, boned pork shoulder
About ¼ cup canola oil or bacon drippings
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and peeled
1 cup Madeira or medium dry sherry
About 5 cups chicken or beef broth or about 2½ cups of each
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons finely chopped flatleaf parsley for garnish
How to make it:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Trim the meat of excess fat and gristle and cut it into 1½-to-2-inch cubes. Wrap it well with paper towels and pat it dry. Put enough oil or drippings in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (preferably enameled iron) to cover bottom by about ¼-inch. Warm it over medium heat.
Unwrap the meat and season it well with Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, then add enough pork to the pan to fill it without crowding. Raise the heat to medium high and brown it on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate or platter and repeat the with remaining meat.
Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons fat and adjust the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pan. Sauté until the onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until hot. Turn off heat and return the meat to the pan and sprinkle it with the flour. Stir well and put the pan in the center of oven and bake 4 minutes. Remove, stir, and bake 4 minutes longer.
Remove the pot from oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Add enough broth to just cover the meat. Cover the pot tightly, return it to oven, and bake half an hour, then reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and bake until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours.
When the stew is almost done, wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth, trim and quarter them, and sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until they’re beginning to color at the edges. Season Savannah Spanish Moss Blend and turn off the heat.
If when the stew is ready the sauce is too thin, remove the meat to a platter and put the pot over direct medium heat. Cook until reduced and thickened. Return the meat to the pan and fold in the mushrooms. Let it heat through and serve, garnishing each serving with parsley.
Salt Table’s Old Man River Seasoning Blend was designed for customers who were looking for a salt-free seasoning, but it’s great for seasoning dozens of savory dishes even when you’re not watching the sodium. It’s an especially good seasoning for these chops, since two of the key ingredients—bacon and sauerkraut—are already salty.
This recipe serves two and is perfect for an intimate fall dinner, but it doubles easily if you have a larger family.
Serves 2
2 1-inch-thick center-cut pork loin chops
Salt Table Fine Sea Salt or Fine Himalayan Pink Salt
Salt Table Old Man River Seasoning Blend
1 extra-thick-cut slice applewood or hickory smoked bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 medium tart apple such as Granny Smith, washed, cored, (peeled if preferred), and diced
1½ cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 level tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup Auslese Riesling wine
Position a rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and Old Man River Blend. Sauté the bacon in flame-proof casserole (such as an enameled iron Dutch oven or braiser) over medium heat until golden brown. Remove it with a slotted spoon and drain it on absorbent paper. Add the chops to pan and brown them well on both sides. Remove them from pan and spoon off most of fat.
Add the onion to pan and sauté until translucent and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and toss until they’re hot through. Pour in the wine, stirring and scraping pan to loosen cooking residue, then mix in the kraut, brown sugar, mustard, and reserved bacon. Season well with Old Man River Blend, stir, and level the top with spatula.
Lay the pork chops on top the kraut, cover tightly, and bake in center of the oven until the chops are cooked through and tender, about 1 hour.
Butternut squash, bacon, and sage just seem to say fall and this simple sauce for thin spaghetti makes good use of all three. The Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend really pulls those flavors together, since it blends sage with two other great fall herbs, rosemary and thyme.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 extra-thick slices applewood smoked bacon, cut into dice
1 small (1-1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium shallots, peeled and diced small
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend
2 small scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
The Salt Table Sea Salt
12 ounces (¾ pound) thin spaghetti
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon very small sage leaves, left whole, or larger leaves roughly chopped
How to make it:
Put the bacon in a 3-quart deep sauté or braising pan and sauté over medium heat until it’s browned and its fat is rendered. Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat or drain it all off and add 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter. Add the squash and toss until it’s hot through and glossy. Add the shallot and sauté until both are beginning to color at the edges, about 3-4 minutes.
Season well with Spanish Moss Blend and toss, then add about ¼ cup of water stirring and scraping to loosen any cooking residue from the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the squash is just tender, about 4-5 minutes longer. Check to make sure the moisture doesn’t completely evaporate, adding a spoonful of water if needed. Uncover, add the scallion, and toss until they’re bright green and hot. Turn off the heat. The sauce can be made ahead to this point.
When you’re ready to serve the pasta, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Stir in a small handful of sea salt and the spaghetti. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s al dente (firm to the bite but not pasty at the center), using the manufacturer’s suggested cooking time as guide. When it’s almost ready, gently reheat the squash sauce over medium low heat. Then the pasta is done, reserve ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Don’t over-drain it. Add it to the sauce in the pan and toss well. If it seems dry, add a tablespoon or so of pasta cooking water.
Add half the cheese and toss, again adding a little pasta cooking water if it’s too dry. Scatter small whole sage leaves over and serve from pan or turn into serving bowl and sprinkle with the sage leaves. Serve at once, passing the remaining cheese separately.
Salt Table Tybee Island Coastal Blend, Savannah Pride Rainbow Blend or Southern Italian Seasoning Blend.
Oysters are but rarely paired with pasta in Italy, but they’re so plentiful in our area that it seems a shame not to take advantage of them. Salt Table’s Tybee Island Blend is perfect for seafood pasta dishes and makes the seasoning of this one very simple. Other perfect Salt Table blends for this are Savannah Pride Rainbow Blend and Southern Italian Seasoning Blend.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup drained shucked oysters, preferably local, drained but liquor reserved
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted breadcrumbs
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
Tybee Island Coastal Seasoning Blend, Savannah Pride Rainbow Blend or Southern Italian Seasoning Blend.
The Salt Table Sea Salt
3-4 ounces small pasta shells
2 teaspoons minced flat leaf parsley, optional
How to make it:
Pick over the oysters for bits of shell. Put at least 3 quarts of water on to boil over medium-high heat. Put 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed 10-inch pan over medium low heat. When it’s warmed, add the crumbs, tossing to coat them, and lightly toast them, stirring constantly. Remove the crumbs from the pan.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and let it get hot, then add the oysters and toss until they’re plump and firm, about 1 minute. Season them lightly with the Tybee Island Blend then remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the wine and reserved oyster liquor to the pan, bring them to a boil, and cook until they’re reduced and thick. Turn off the heat.
When the pot of water is boiling, stir in a small handful of salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (firm to the bite but not pasty at the center). When it’s almost done, reheat the sauce over medium low heat. Cut the oysters into 2-3 pieces, return them to the sauce with any accumulated juice, and simmer until they’re hot through and the sauce is thick again. Stir in the parsley, if using, and taste and adjust the Tybee Island Blend, Savannah Pride Rainbow Blend or Southern Italian Seasoning Blend.
Turn off the heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the sauce. Add the toasted crumbs, toss, and serve at once.
Salt Table Black Truffle Salt or Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt.
Cultivated mushrooms don’t have the intense flavor that they’re wild cousins like Italian porcini or truffles, but the latter aren’t readily available to most of us and can be very expensive when they can be had. Here, Salt Table’s Black Truffle Salt bumps up the flavor of cultivated brown mushrooms without putting a strain on your grocery budget. Another good seasoning for this is Salt Table’s Wild Porcini MushroomSalt.
This is for a cozy dinner for two, but it doubles well; increase the olive oil to only 3 tablespoons.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
8 ounces brown (crimini or baby bella) mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, peeled and minced
3-4 small to medium fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
Salt Table Black Truffle Salt or Wild Porchini Mushroom
Whole black pepper in a mill
Salt Table Sea Salt
6 ounces penne pasta
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus a little more for serving
8-12 very small sage leaves, for garnish, optional
How to make it:
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth or paper towel. Cut small ones into quarters, larger ones into chunks the same size as the quarters. Put at least 3 quarts of water on to boil over medium high heat.
Put the oil and shallot in a 10-12-inch heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Sauté until the shallot is a pale gold, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and quickly toss to coat them with the oil. Sauté, tossing almost constantly, until mushrooms are beginning to color. Add the sage and season to taste with Salt Table Black Truffle salt or Wild Porchini Mushroom Salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
When the pot of water is boiling, stir in a small handful of sea salt and the pasta. Boil it, stirring occasionally, until it’s al dente (firm to the bite but not pasty at the center). When the pasta is almost done, gently reheat the mushrooms over medium low heat, and when the pasta is ready, quickly drain and put it in the pan with the mushrooms. Turn off the heat under the pan, toss well, add the cheese, and toss again. Garnish with whole small sage leaves, if using, and serve at once, passing more cheese separately.
Basic Sauté of Pork Tenderloin with Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Blend or River Street Cobblestone Blend
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, Southern Italian Blend or River Street Cobblestone Blend
Pork Tenderloins are lean and always tender, so they’re perfect for a quick, simple sauté that’s ideal for those intimate dinners for two. The Salt Table’s Savannah Spanish Moss Blend really brings out the flavor of pork, but River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend are all great alternatives. To spice it up, try it with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blen
Serves 2
Ingredients:
10-12 ounces pork tenderloin (about 2/3 large tenderloin)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt Table River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend are all great alternatives. To spice it up, try it with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blend.
Trim the silverskin and any excess fat from the pork and cut it into uniform bite-sized chunks. Wrap in paper towels and thoroughly pat dry.
Film pan with olive oil and put over medium high heat. When hot, add the pork and sauté until well browned (about 3 minutes), adjust heat to medium, and continue until done to your taste, about 2 minutes for medium/medium-well. Remove from pan.
Add the shallot and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes, then deglaze with chicken broth and cook until reduced by 2/3. Stir in any accumulated juice from the meat and turn off the heat, return the pork to pan, add optional herbs, toss, and serve.
Wine Déglacé: Allow ½ cup dry white wine, dry white vermouth, dry sherry, or Madeira. After the shallot is golden in step 3, deglaze the pan with wine, bring to boil, then add the broth and boil, stirring and scraping pan, until reduced and syrupy, add any accumulated juice from the meat, and turn off the heat. Whisk in the River Street Cobblestone Blend, All Round Good Grinder Blend, and Southern Italian Blend, or spice it up with Savannah Sizzle Seasoning Blend., if using, and if you want to enrich it, whisk in 1-4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into chunks, to suit your taste).
With its blend of rosemary, sage, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper, Salt Table’s Spanish Moss Blend is ideal for pork dishes, especially in the fall, and makes the seasoning of this savory stew quick and easy.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
3 pounds lean pork, preferably from the shoulder
About ¼ cup olive or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
1 large rib celery, washed, strung, and diced small
Salt Table Savannah Spanish Moss Blend
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups dry white wine or dry white vermouth
About 2 cups beef or chicken broth or a blend of both (enough broth to barely cover the meat)
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Trim and cut the pork into 1½-to-2-inch cubes, wrap well with paper towels, and pat dry. Put enough oil or drippings in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (preferably enameled iron) to cover bottom by about 1/4-inch. Warm over medium heat. When hot, unwrap meat and add enough to the pot to fill it without crowding. Raise the heat to medium high and brown the meat well on all sides. Transfer it to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat. Remove the pot from heat.
Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and return the pot to medium heat. Sauté until the onion is golden, about 4 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and season well with Spanish Moss Blend. Toss to blend, turn off the heat, and transfer the pot to the center of the oven (uncovered). Bake 4 minutes, remove it, stir well, and bake 4 minutes longer.
Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300° F. Add enough liquid to just cover the meat, stir well, and add the bay leaf, if using. Cover the pot tightly, return it to the oven, and bake until the pork is fork tender, about 3 hours.
While the stew is baking, wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry cloth or paper towel, trim and quarter them. When the stew is ready, if sauce is too thin, put it over direct medium heat and boil until it’s reduced and thickened. Turn off the heat.
When the stew is ready, heat the butter or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re beginning to color at the edges. Season them well with Spanish Moss Blend and fold them into the stew. Garnish with chopped parsley if liked and serve with crusty bread.
Salt Table Smoked Bacon Salt or Savannah Sizzle Blend
Who says a meal has to be a slab of protein with vegetables on the side? This medley of vegetables is satisfying all by itself as a main dish, especially when its flavor is revved up with Salt Table’s Smoked Bacon Salt or spicy Savannah Sizzle Blend. It would also be delightful with Black Truffle Salt.
Best of all, it involves only one pan, so clean up is equally as fast and easy.
Serves 2 as main dish with bread or rice, 3-4 as a side dish.
Ingredients:
1 stalk (head) broccoli
1 medium yellow squash or zucchini
1 medium carrot
4-5 scallions or 1 small yellow onion or large shallot
Wash the broccoli, trim it, and peel the woody skin on the stem. Remove the florets and break them into bite-sized pieces. Cut the stem into bite-sized chunks. Keep the stem and florets separated. Scrub the squash under cold running water, trim, split lengthwise, and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Peel the carrot and cut it into chunks the same size as the broccoli stem and zucchini. Wash, trim, and cut the scallions into 1-inch lengths, keeping white and green part separated. If you’re using yellow onion or shallots instead, trim, split lengthwise, peel, and dice.
Film a wok or large, heavy-bottomed frying pan with oil and add the garlic. Warm it over medium high heat until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant but not colored. Add the broccoli stem, squash, carrot, and white part of scallion or diced onion or shallot and sauté 2 minutes or until the stem is bright green and hot through, tossing constantly.
Add the broccoli florets and sauté 1 minute, tossing constantly. Season liberally with Salt Table Smoked Bacon Salt or Savannah Sizzle, add about ¼ cup water, and cover the pan. Cook 2 minutes or until the carrots and broccoli stem are done to your taste. They should still be slightly crisp but easy to bite.
Uncover and add green parts of scallions. Toss until both are wilted and liquid is evaporated, about 1 minute longer. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley, if using, and serve.
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring 
